Armenian aircraft gets overflying permit to Syria

October 15, 2012, 15:40 UTC+3Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesman Tigran Balaian said the landing in Turkey was not a surprise for Armenia

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ANKARA, October 15 (Itar-Tass) — Air Armenia aircraft, which has made a forced landing in Turkey, has gotten an overflying permit to Syria, local mass media report on Monday.

According to earlier information, if no violations are revealed during the check, the airliner will continue its flight.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry said the aircraft made a landing in Turkey’s Erzurum as was previously agreed with Yerevan.

Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesman Tigran Balaian said the landing in Turkey was not a surprise for Armenia. “The landing of the aircraft, carrying humanitarian cargoes to the Syrian city of Aleppo, was made routinely and as previously agreed,” the Armenian diplomat said.

The An-12 Armenian aircraft, which made the Yerevan-Aleppo flight, has landed in the Turkish city of Erzurum, Air Armenia director Arsen Avetisyan said.

He said Turkey circulated reports in mass media that it had forced the Armenian aircraft to make a landing.

Despite the 330-long km common border, Armenia and Turkey have not established diplomatic relations yet. Ankara demands Yerevan give up its position on the genocide of Armenians in 1915 and on support for Nagorno-Karabakh in the conflict with Azerbaijan.